Moment in Time
by Shining Zephyr
Summary: A tribute to Sept. 11. A forgotten moment in school drives Danny to Ground Zero, where he witnesses the breaking of a man he only knows of as his enemy.


**One year later, I am doing yet another 9/11 piece. Nothing to do with politics or any of that crap. Just a simple story that has the most unexpected turn I've ever done. A semi-sequel to last year's 9/11 tribute, "Skyward Memories."**

**PP isn't applied.**

**I don't own Danny Phantom.**

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Moment in Time

September 11, 2008.

A chilly night in New York City provided no comfort to eighteen-year-old Danny Fenton as he walked along the sidewalk towards a large memorial. The two beams of light reached for the sky as a sort of silent cry to be remembered. Danny stopped around a block away, taking a deep breath. Seven years- it had been seven long years since terror had taken the nation by storm for twenty-four hours.

The teenager ran his fingers through his raven-colored hair and leaned against a brick wall near Ground Zero. His stomach churned with thoughts of the heroes lost and the memories gained through such a horrific experience. Why? What had America done to deserve such a brutal incident that gained international attention?

And it wasn't even the thought of those seven years that made him feel stomach pains.

It was the moment in class that Casper High had missed. There _was_ no moment of silence for those who had lost their life. Danny was tempted to ask about it, to defy the odds and get people to shut up for maybe a moment. But he didn't. He bit his tongue and sat in a furious silence, waiting for someone to say something. But no one spoke up about it.

Danny immediately left school when the bell rung and ran around to an emptied alleyway near the back of the school in hopes of not being seen by his classmates. He had completely dropped off of his things and flown to New York City in a fit of sadness, not even telling Sam and Tucker about where he was going. If no one wanted to remember September 11 at his school, then he was going to go and remember it by himself.

He might not have wanted to open up an old wound, but he knew he needed to pay respect to the dead. And he would.

So here he was only a few hours later, standing only a block from Ground Zero and taking another deep breath.

Wait.

There was another figure standing near the black fence that surrounded the memorial, his hands clenching the metal bars as if they were the last things on Earth. Danny frowned and walked closer, stuffing his hands deeper into his pockets. The man looked to be desperate, staring at something he longed to have but couldn't touch. The teen moved closer, suddenly stopping merely six feet away from the figure.

His eyes widened, breathing quickening with each beat of his heart.

Vlad Masters seemed to reach through the fence, his voice sounding pleading. "No. Katherine, don't do this to me!"

The voice of a young woman seemed to pierce through the quiet. "I cannot help it. I'm forever bound to Ground Zero, Vlad. It's in my blood, my duty to the city to help those remember what happened that fateful day so many years ago."

"Why? Why can't you just live in the Ghost Zone? I could…"

Katherine sounded gentle. "Listen to me, brother."

Danny's stomach seemed to drop fifty stories as he listened, feeling the sensation of falling. _Brother?!_

"I understand you want to come and see me. I know you're angry with them for everything they did- for taking my life. But you must realize that it's time to let the anger go. It's time to let all those feelings of hate, rage, and despair for good." Katherine seemed to give a soft smile. "Vlad- it's time to let go over everything and do what you really must do."

That did it. Vlad merely let the fence slip through his fingers and sagged to the ground, clutching his stomach and looking as if he was going to throw up in mere moments. Danny slowly walked a couple more feet until he finally saw the woman he had been talking to- his deceased sister. She was decidedly beautiful- black hair that went to the middle of her back, icy blue eyes like her brother's own, and a slimmer-than-average figure. She noticed Danny and gave a soft smile in his direction. "Phantom," she acknowledged.

The teenager winced. "How do you know me?"

Katherine merely smiled. "He speaks of you a lot."

"Oh." He didn't know what else to say.

She looked at him sadly. "Danny- Vlad is a fragile soul. He needs someone to comfort him right now. The day I died was the day a part of him completely lost control. He never looked at things the same again. Everything had a purpose, but it was for the wrong purpose. He thought he was doing something for me by using his ghost powers, but he was only hurting those around him. He needs someone to help him."

Danny looked incredulous. "He's tried to kill me!"

The woman looked down at her brother and shook her head. "Can he kill you now?"

The hybrid said nothing, listening to Vlad's deep breaths and struggled sobs, each one whispering his sister's name repeatedly. He looked at Katherine and finally gave a soft sigh. "Vlad. Do you miss her?"

The bitter man looked up at his archenemy with tear-streaked eyes. "Daniel…"

"You lost a sister on that day," he told him quietly, his heart feeling oddly light in talking to the one who wanted to defeat him on too many days. "I can't do anything to ease your pain and hatred you may feel towards me, but I think I can help you in healing over your sister's death." He glanced at the ghost, who nodded encouragingly. "I… Vlad, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about her, I'm sorry about you…"

Vlad glanced up at the hero. "Sorry about me? Don't be." His voice had bitterness. "No, leave me be. Suffering by myself is probably the only way I can heal."

Danny shook his head. "You're wrong, Vlad. You need to share that suffering with someone to completely heal a wound." His voice grew choked. "I should know."

"What do you know about suffering?"

"A lot."

The words cut through the air like a knife. Katherine waited before looking at the memorial. "I must leave you two now. My time for helping is done."

Vlad's head shot towards the woman, whose body began to disappear. "Katherine!"

"You can heal, Vlad," she whispered, her body beginning to disappear with a light breeze. "Promise me you'll heal and remember."

Silence.

"Promise me!"

Just before she disappeared, Vlad suddenly called back, "I promise!"

He glanced at Danny, who stood there, tensed for an attack. But he did nothing, merely looking over the boy and finally nodding slowly, standing up in the process. "You came to remember."

"No one else wanted to at school," the teen admitted angrily. "They just passed over the moment as if it was just another meaningless moment in time!"

Vlad stuffed his own hands in his pockets. "Is that right?"

He began to walk in the opposite direction before turning around and giving his archenemy a very slight smile.

"But the fact that you remember is all that counts, little badger. Remember that."

Danny did nothing for a moment. A moment later, he felt his head nodding.

He remembered.

And, in the end, that truly was all that mattered.

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**The sad thing is that no one did a moment of silence in our school. So you know what? I remembered for you. Much love, friends.**


End file.
